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Facing Bai Ze's question, Kaito nodded confidently, his eyes shifting into the Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Rest assured, I'll ensure everything is foolproof," he promised.
"Oh?" Bai Ze leaned closer, peering into his eyes. "What bewitching eyes…"
Kaito maintained his smile, meeting Bai Ze's gaze.
"Alright, I trust you. Please wait a moment," Bai Ze said, turning toward the inner room.
"He might have a favorable impression of you because of your unique eyes," Hakuten remarked suddenly. "After all, Bai Ze is a mythical beast with nine eyes."
'That's hardly the same thing!' Kaito scream in his head, though his face remained smiling.
"Ah, found it!" Bai Ze's voice called from the inner room.
Soon, he returned carrying a flowerpot.
"Is this the Blue Spider Lily?" Kaito asked, examining the pot Bai Ze placed on the table. He extended a hand over the blue flowers, sensing them with spiritual energy.
At the same time, the pentagram in his eyes spun, observing with his ocular jutsu.
After a long moment, he withdrew his hand.
"I see," he said, his eyes shifting from red to black, his tone complex. "I understand now."
"Got it?" Bai Ze asked, flicking the long pendant by his right ear with a meaningful smile. "That's what it comes down to."
Hakuten's expression darkened, and he said irritably, "Tch, those capricious beings on Takamagahara."
"I've suddenly pieced together many things," Kaito said, his expression hard to describe, a flicker of anger in his eyes. "All I can say is… as expected of the gods?"
Bai Ze merely smiled faintly, looking at Kaito with curiosity. "What, do you think it's unfair for those who died? But there's nothing you can do."
"What's that supposed to mean? Hey, Kaito, what's going on?" Izuna, the only one out of the loop, asked.
"Heh, it's nothing," Kaito said, reining in his emotions with a light chuckle. "Just that the root of everything is merely a game of the gods."
"What?" Izuna's eyes widened.
"My apologies, Mr. Uchiha. I only just learned of this myself," Hakuten said, unexpectedly apologizing for inviting Kaito to this demon-slaying mission.
Kaito shook his head. "It's fine. I'll put an end to this game."
Hakuten glared fiercely at Bai Ze. "You, as a mythical beast who knows all things, with the Blue Spider Lily in your possession, you must've known everything beforehand, yet you pretended to listen to the story!"
"What nonsense are you spouting?!" Bai Ze glared back. "I don't meddle in the affairs of gods of that level! Handing over my precious flower is already generous enough!! And I'm not even a Divine Beast from Japan!!"
"So what's going on?" Izuna asked Kaito.
"Though faint, I'm certain the Blue Spider Lily contains divine power," Kaito explained. "Specifically, the power of the moon."
He had only learned of divine power after his clone assumed the mantle of Enma.
Izuna opened his mouth as if to speak, but Kaito quickly covered it.
"Don't say the god's name directly. If you're unlucky, They might sense it."
Izuna nodded.
Kaito withdrew his hand and continued, "The absolute dominance of sunlight over demons, the original Sun Breathing user Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the divine lunar power in the Blue Spider Lily, the deadly curse passed down through the Ubuyashiki clan's bloodline…"
He shook his head. "As hard as it is to believe, all the suffering in that world might simply be a game between those two most exalted beings."
Izuna nodded again, his expression odd. "So, it's fated for you to end it?"
"Perhaps," Kaito said, shaking his head again. "Thinking too much is pointless. I'll just do what I can."
"Finish the mission quickly," Izuna said, patting his shoulder. "The fight against the Otsutsuki clan awaits you."
"Then, shall we take our leave, Hakuten-kun?" Kaito asked, glancing at Hakuten, who was childishly glaring at Bai Ze.
"Hm? Finally leaving? Great," Hakuten said, standing abruptly, gripping his spiked club and slinging it over his shoulder as he headed out.
"Thank you for the flower, Lord Bai Ze," Kaito said, bowing to Bai Ze, who was still glaring at Hakuten's back, and picking up the flowerpot.
"Leaving already?" Bai Ze's face softened instantly. "Do as you see fit, Uchiha-kun. You're an interesting person. I look forward to your results."
Kaito smiled, bowed again, and left the house with Izuna.
…
After returning to the Underworld, Kaito didn't linger and went straight back to the living world.
Moonlight poured like water.
Ubuyashiki Estate, the same spot Kaito had left from.
"You're back at noon, Mr. Uchiha?" Kagaya said, still seated in his wheelchair nearby, with the Pillars waiting in the courtyard.
"Lord Ubuyashiki, everyone, good evening," Kaito said with a light smile, waving. "Sorry for keeping you waiting."
"Did you get it? The Blue Spider Lily!" Sanemi stepped forward eagerly.
"I didn't let you down. I've obtained it," Kaito said, waving his sleeve. A pot of Blue Spider Lilies appeared on the floor beside him.
The group gathered around, cautiously observing the special flowers.
At first glance, they seemed no different from regular spider lilies, except for their color.
But as time passed, the blue petals began to glow with moonlight, growing brighter, resonating with the night sky's moon.
"This is the treasure Muzan has sought for centuries," Kagaya said, his voice trembling with excitement. "With this, our Demon Slayer Corps' victory is all but assured."
Kaito turned to him. "Then let's devise a concrete battle plan, Lord Ubuyashiki."
Kagaya nodded repeatedly, pulling everyone into a discussion.
At that moment, his frail, sickly face glowed with vitality.
The swordsmen were equally thrilled.
Kaito watched the scene, his emotions complex.
The lord, the Pillars.
Though these were the backbone of the Demon Slayer Corps, most were young men and women, some even younger than Sasuke.
The Corps' history was likely the same—generations of overly young people fighting man-eating demons, sacrificing themselves.
'What a pity...' He sighed inwardly but chose not to reveal the truth.
He feared it might shatter someone's convictions.